A Rose's Thorns
by G 9000
Summary: This is a brief story of how exactly Pink Diamond got Earth as her colony.
1. Tournament Arc: Start

On Homeworld, sealed away in her cage, Pink Diamond expressed her dissatisfaction with the way things were being ran here on Homeworld by sitting with her arms crossed, staring at the corner, stonewalling anyone that tried to talk to her. Not like anyone did but if they did she would. Except for when White called, which was once so far, then she was ready to reply at a moment's notice. And it's not like anyone else really dared to call, considering White had personally 'grounded' her.

That Gem was scary. Not that she'd say it to her face anyway but - wait, could White Diamond read minds? She barely knew anything about her despite being her fellow Diamond. But it would be very great if White could indeed read her thoughts, since she had nothing to hide and only wanted White to know how awesome she was and how Pink totally didn't think she was creepy.

She looked around the room. The lack of activity made her relax.

Pink disagreed with her methods. Locked away for 400 colony time units. Now that's not fair. After she was trying to show initiative and conquer her own planet.

Well she'd just about had enough.

Pink jumped to her feet, teeth bared and ready to pounce on anything in her path.

"That's right. She ain't the boss of me. We're fellow Diamonds, she might be higher ranking than me but I've got passion." The corners of her lips turned upwards due to her own reassuring. Then the memory of another more permanent smile entered her mind. The smile of someone who had smiled once and never stopped. An entity that knew no grief, no negativity.

"Ha, ha, ha." Pink nervously looked over at the direction where White's ship/command center was supposed to be in. Thankfully she wasn't on Homeworld right now. "I mean I already waited for 380 time units, might as well get cozy for the twenty remaining." Pink then proceeded to lie in fetal position, her back turned in the direction of White's tower.

Damn White was so wonderful and awesome!

Her looming form stood etched in her mind along with her wonderful bright smile. Pink shivered as she held her knees.

"I just wanted to conquer a planet not to get to know the very definition of fear."

And she stood like this for some time.

About twenty colony time units later a kick sent her door flying. The leg stood rigid in the air for a moment before retracting back and then extending downwards, stepping on the Topaz that seemed to be stuck to the door unconscious.

"When I tell you to kick down the door, you kick down the door!" uh, oh Yellow was angry. At least she was a good alarm, Pink knew that she wouldn't be here if her punishment hadn't reached its conclusion. Yellow pointed an accusatory finger at her. "You!"

Pink went over and hugged Yellow's lower body with a smile and looked up at her angry, twisted form of a face. "What's up chief, what'd I do this time? Lay the guilt on me. Make me suffer." Pink looked desperate as she clung to Yellow's side. "Please just give me something, anything other than the crushing silence and despair that has been my life for so long now."

Yellow Diamond looked at her good and long. Like she was preserving her anger, holding it, compressing it tighter and tighter until it was about to explode. Pink tensed with excitement. The prospect of someone finally acknowledging her again after so long brought her additional joy. She could hardly contain herself.

The rage left Yellow's face, Pink's excitement shifted to confusion. Yellow turned around and left.

Pink watched as her superior walked away, through the door and out her room - cell! - she meant to say cell. The Topaz, had awoken and was now stuck to Yellow's foot. She saluted Pink every time Yellow lifted her foot off the ground. Pink sighed and saluted back, she'd take whatever communication she could get.

The gem fainted again after Yellow planted her foot down in a particularly rough manner. Oh well.

She was no longer stuck to Yellow's foot and as Pink walked forward she made extra sure to step over the unconscious body of the gem in a manner the spectators that'd gathered would notice so she could brag to her friends later. She finished and skipped forward to catch up to Yellow.

"Do you even understand the torture I underwent in there, stewing in my own thoughts? It was like a nightmare, like I was always being directly observed by," she hesitated, trying her best not to glance at the tower where White usually resided. "Some space abomination. Always staring right at me. Never doing anything else."

Yellow handed her a file. She just would not indulge her. Why had Pink been so direct? She should've used reverse psychology. The information in the notes was quickly devoured by Pink. White had gone to her colonies. Three hundred ninety nine colony time units ago. At least that put Pink in a more easygoing mood. White hadn't heard Pink's more, rebellious thoughts. Actually had she? Did she have a range? Could she even read minds?

She looked up from the notes and noticed Yellow's giant form before her. Her thoughts immediately derailed to other more immediate matters.

"Oh I'm so glad Yellow's not talking to me. I couldn't bear all that **yelloing** and anger after so much time in peace and quiet. The dreadful,l dreadful quiet." Pink nudged and nudged Yellow with her elbow but she just wouldn't crack. "By the way where are we going YD?" she leered.

YD gave her some notes. She hated that abbreviation. Two could play the annoyance game. Well more like four. And it was usually a three against one type of deal. No you can't have a colony Pink. You're not matuuure enough. Well maybe you guys are just too mature!

Speaking of mature.

"Very mature of you YD, you're really setting an example there for me as the future of the Diamonds."

YD didn't visibly show any signs of being affected in any way by her words whatsoever. Whatever. This was only slightly less boring than talking to a wall. She glanced through the notes and thought a little then nodded.

"You came to ask me about this? Why my Pearl was rooted to her spot in the middle of the street and refused be moved until she became an attraction with people drawing over her and stamping fliers on her face and you found out about it and got angry that a Diamond's Pearl's body was being used for the amusement of the common Gems and had to uproot her from the spot yourself and she still hasn't moved up until right now?"

There was the slightest hint of interest in YD's expression.

"You probably think I messed with her or used some technology?"

YD barely stopped herself from nodding. Pink smiled as they neared the hangar they were keeping Pearl in.

"It's none of that." Pink said as two guards opened the doors with their chips. "When I was angry that White found me out after I tried taking over a planet, and said I was grounded, Pearl was trying to cheer me up and I snapped." Pink explained while they walked down a corridor. A large door opened up in front of them. Pearl was inside the large storage facility.

"While angry I told her: Don't , just don't. " Pink looked over Pearl, holographic writings all over her body, clothing from various colonies draped over her, several advertisements placed all over her body. Also a note, pierced by her long nose, blank, at least the side that faced Pink. She walked all around Pearl in a circle and she didn't move, didn't react. "I guess she really didn't since then."

No command would work to bring her back. There existed none with the power to annul the basic denial of everything encapsulated in the order 'don't '.

Except.

She got behind Pearl. The note pierced by her nose caught her attention as it had writing on the other side but that was for later, for now she grabbed her servant's shoulders.

"My Pearl, you're too stiff. Have you been working too hard again? Here, let your master serve you this time." Pink whispered in her ear. After some more soothing words and dipping her hands below the waist, Pearl started to quake and not soon after she jumped forward.

"My Diamond, please don't lower yourself to playing with a mere servant!" she cried out with a huge blush on her cheeks. Then she cried out when she saw YD and saluted her. "My Diamond."

YD stood there and said nothing.

Pink snatched the note from Pearl's nose while Pearl apologized to YD for not noticing her. She read.

It was an advertisement for a fighting tournament.

Not sponsored by Homeworld.

With the prize being a whole populated planet.

Pink grinned ear to ear. This was it. She was happy again. Yeee!

She grabbed Pearl mid sorry and bolted for the exit.

YD grabbed her by the ear. Must have noticed she'd inexplicably gotten over her depression. Now she looked so angry, like she would go super nova or something. Whatever, Pink was excited now and energetic too. She could handle anything YD dished out.

"I noticed you were rather bored until just now. I'm glad you livened up, Pink. Let's have fun, the two of us." she said and Pink felt suddenly sorry for all her previous verbal assault. YD cracked her knuckles. "You get punished for your inexcusable behavior, you treat your Pearl in a manner that gives the wrong expression to the common gems and just when it look like you've learned something, here you are ready to goof off again."

After some time a tired Pink headed for her spaceship at a moderate pace. Her lips were a flat line and tears were perpetually streaming down her cheeks, with Pearl being the only one bothering to wipe them. Without any energy or excitement Pink opened her spare, more conservative ship and entered. She would never ever call Yellow Diamond by that abbreviation again.

Despite everything however, Yellow had no right to keep her on Homeworld and she had her own work to do and Pink didn't, with the 'not having any colonies' business. So she was heading to space to prove herself as a Diamond befitting of respect just like her sisters.


	2. Space Tourist In Space

"Landing in five, four, three," Pink Diamond counted down with excitement as the giant pair of pink legs approached the alien planet.

"Don't forget to bend your knees, My Diamond." Pearl offered some advice, but Pink was too excited to care.

"One!" she yelled as she stomped hard on the ground, making some of the lighter ships on the parking lot jump and start beeping.

"Colony, colony, colony!" Pink chanted with her hands in the air as she walked away from the ship with her fateful Pearl following behind.

"I'll make a giant Juggling Gem production center there, some Mime Gems over there, a ballroom/palace and," Pink's excited bouncing and pointing was cut off by Pearl, who was scanning the note with a hole in it.

"MY Diamond, here it says that the prize planet will not be the site of the competition, this planet was picked for its modern stadium and due to being a tourist hot spot." She said.

"Those organizers are really suspicious. Offering a planet and not letting me visit it or get a picture of it. " Pink Diamond's eyes darted left and righ as they were exiting the parking lot. "Maybe we're onto some kind of galactic scam and have to uncover their scheming."

Pink Diamond crouched low and hid behind a corner of a building, looking more suspicious than the pedestrians that she was considering suspicious.

Pearl sighed. And then she smiled. Same old Pink.

"My diamond. There is a wealth of merchendise related to the planet. And I checked everything while we were flying here. All the proper paperwork is in order."

Pearl watched as Pink Diamond looked around and became awed at the amount of stuff being sold. The merchendise had the image of what she hoped to be her future colony on them.

"Gimme!" she ran off. Pearl was left alone. Without instructions to do so she went over to the line of people that were signing up for the competition. She really did spoil Pink too much sometimes. Hearing her laugh in the distance, Pearl smiled.

How could she not.

Some time passed while the line thinned and Pearl reached the stand where the sign-ups were taking place. The orange alien looked her over with its eye. "Aren't you a little scrawny and unequipped to be fighing here?"

"Oh, not me." she put her hands up and then looked around. It was not hard to locate Pink. She pointed at her.

Pink was looked like a full on tourist. Wearing a shirt that depicted what appeared to be a crude image of a face. With the planet and the lunar body that accompanied it being the eyes and the other planets of the star system being a smile. The patter of the shirt was reminiscent of a star.

She had also dyed her hair in the colors of the planet, meaning it was now blue and green.

She had some shopping bags with the planet's logo on them and a few stickers of the planet on her face, one of which was shaped in the crude form of the biological organ - heart, which was the universal way to depict love.

Pearl blushed. The alien snorted. It gave her a ticket and called for the next one in line.

"My diamond, I have obtained the ticket that shall grant you entry into this barbaric tournament." Pearl presented the ticket elegantly, hoping to gain her diamond's favor. But Pink Diamond ignored her perfectly elegant maneuver and took the ticket with excitement.

"Alright, where do I exchange this ticket for my new planet." she said, brashly with a smile, making everyone in the vicinty pay attention to her. She looked around at the ones staring and said "All in good humor, of course. Let the best one win." the crowd seemed content with this and with a murmur they went back to what they were doing before.

But uh oh, her excellency wasn't finished. Oh how Pearl wished her diamond would be more conservative, like Blue.

"Losers." Pink muttered playfully under her breath. The aliens around them became annoyed again and started hurling objects at Pink as she escaped while laughing.

Pearl started walking in her direction, but stopped upon seeing her Diamond bump into somebody and that somebody not immediately falling due to her size and weight.

The alien male she bumped into, along with his two buddies, was a good meter shorter than Pink. His build appeared to be strudy. His green skin was covered in orange circles, from some of which hair grew, mostly on his face, where he had shaped it into a sharp beard. He had only a jacket and pants on him, with the jacked being partially unzipped to show off the short tentacles on his chest.

"Sorry for bumping into you." Pink smiled sincerely. "It's just that this place is so fun, I kinda got lost in the moment."

"Cut it out." the person said, obviously annoyed at Pink's behavior. He looked at her accessoaries with a judgemental gaze. "You won't even pass the preliminary round with all of that jumk weighing you down, don't look look down on others who are seriously serious about this."

He bumped Pink with his shoulder as he passed her and walked forward.

Pink didn't say anything but her smile was gone. She shot one look at the man and headed for the waiting area. Pearl followed her.

* * *

"Everybody, get ready! The tournament to determine the fate of a whole world is about to begin." the announcer alien lady in the colorful and extravagant suit called throungh the sound teleportation device in her hand.

"Due to the large number of contestants, we'll be having a preliminary round." her voice suddenly became gruff and serious. "Only the toughest of the tough, the most cunning of the cunning, the boldest of the bold, will get through here and earn the right to compete in our tournament."

The crowd cheered.

In the middle of the arena the contestants were gathered. They were stuffed shoulder to shoulder, face to armpit.

"Someone needs to clean this place from all the filth.", Barr, the green alien tough guy with orange spots on his green skin said.

"Speaking of filth, where's that pink piece of cotton you scared off?" one of his grunts asked.

"I saw she was eager to come so I had a friend give her directions." Barr chuckled. He wasn't paying attention to the announcements so he didn't really understand why the floor disappeared from under him.

No biggie though.

He angled his body, so that he fell towards the edge of this new crater. As soon as he caught the wall after a few minutes of falling, it was two leaps up with his enhanced strength.

He jumped out of the hole and onto land.

"Wow, a second contestant has passed the challenge!" the announcer and the crowd cheered.

"Second?" Barr looked around. Who could possibly beat him here.

"Hey there, nice to meet you again." the pink piece of cotton waved at him, she was slightly out of breath but she gave him a competetive smile. "Jerk."


	3. Preliminaries

Barr looked on in astonishment. How could such an airhead get up before him? How could she even evade his sight for so long when she was dressed like a professional tourist? He hadn't seen her among the initial crowd.

"Wait, why's everyone falling down a hole. Some person gave me really messed up directions so I was kind of late."

What?

"What!" Barr exclaimed. He pointed at the tourist. "So that means you're disqualified you cottonhead."

"Really?" the pink tourist looked sad.

"Actually no, she's not. Here in the rules for this round it says that whoever falls down to the bottom of the hole loses." the announcer said. She chuckled over the mike. "In fact she got here slightly before contestant Barr got out of the hole so she gets first place in the elimination round which determines your place on the bracket in the fighting portion of the competition."

Barr chuckled. This whole thing was some kind of bird-brained machination, but it was good.

"So I face her first." Barr cracked his knuckles as he glared at Pinky. She was too busy throwing boulders down the hole to notice. That was one way to eliminate competition!

"The details on the bracket will be revealed after the second preliminary competition." the announcer said sternly.

"There's two of them." Barr cried, shocked.

The announcer slapped her forehead.

"Silly me. Spoiling you by telling you what's to come." she grinned mischievously. A green girl ran up to her and whispered something in her ear. "I see."

Her voice boomed.

"Attention everyone. These are the people that will be participating in the second preliminary round. The other contestants have already reached the bottom."

Barr looked behind himself. Forty seven individuals. Only one of his men had made it. A pity.

"Without further ado, the gigantic version of a proud species of our prize planet." Doors opened around the arena. They were giant and metallic, over 30 meters tall. 'Lions' of a similar size walked onto the arena.

Barr was on edge. He glanced at Cottonhead. She was running straight at one of the creatures. Barr was tense, but excited. Keeping an eye on Airhead he charged a lion himself.

"The goal here is to live for one minute." the announcer from atop a running lion.

"Ha! This competition is so easy. I've been alive my whole life!" the idiot boasted as she drew to a halt before one of the charging beasts.

Then she got swallowed up without the lion even slowing down.

Barr clicked his tongue and moved out of the way of the lion charging him. Those giant things can probably digest a rock in seconds!

Damn inexperienced tourists ruining all the fun by dying without a struggle. He felt a heat in several parts of his body. A reaction that told him that he was in some form of danger. He turned his head and body to one side and the moment he saw a hand going for his head he ducked low and delivered a punch to the alien's foot.

The alien was a pair of long legs and arms and a head in the center. Barr delivered an uppercut to the head, sending the alien flying.

It had already thrown two people in the air and he would've been the third. Two lions jumped and grabbed their midair pray.

An alien transformed into a replica of one of the lions and engaged it in combat. Another pulled a gigantic cannon from out of nowhere and shot. A third went for a fist strike and managed to stagger a lion.

Barr clicked his tongue. It's not like he couldn't fight. He wasn't as useless as the idioty, but it was far better to just conserve his energy and run than to fight.

Still he found himself running for a lion that was chasing around another competitor.

Barr jumped up. This was supposed to be a fight for the strong. The hole definitely had some safety precautions at the bottom so the losers would be seeded out. But this time it was different. They were supposed to be strong but that damn tourist wasn't in the slightest.

Barr jumped high into the air and slammed the running lion in the snout. The vibration from his attack ran through the giant body, shaking it up. The lion was stunned at first and then let out a massive roar.

And in its mouth-

"Whoa, is there an earthquake here or what?" Shaking along with the lion, hands to her sides in an attempt to keep her balance was The Tourist. It took Barr a few blinks to regain his composure and no time at all for his annoyance towards her to return.

"Why are you in the mouth, dumbass?" he yelled.

"Why? Well." she put her finger to her chin as if thinking it over for the first time. After some thinking she nodded. "What place's safer than the enemy's own mouth?"

"Almost any other place?" he sighed.

Ah, the bell rang. Time was up.

* * *

Pink stared at her opponent. Her opponent stared back.

Rock paper scissors. To thin the 32 competitors into 16 that was the method they had chosen.

Her opponent was a big brain. He was probably considering the data he had on her. The things he'd seen her do up till now. Her strategies, maneuvers, ways of handling herself. He was intensely staring at her. All the calculations likely done in milliseconds.

Pink looked to the side. Pearl was in the stands. Over time she'd gathered more pink flags and had gotten some whistles.

Pink smiled. Originally she would choose rock since she was a gem. But this time was different.

Pink shifted her gaze to her opponent. They started counting down.

"I thought you were gonna choose rock since you're a gem. That's what the data I gathered told me." the alien said.

"I was."

"But then you looked at that person in the stands. So pure, like white paper. So I threw scissors." the alien explained. The results were, scissors for the alien and rock for Pink. Winner, Pink.

"Yet instead you chose rock because you are a gem." the alien looked down in shame. "How foolish of me."

"Hey there's always next time. Though here there probably isn't." Pink cheered it on with a big smile and a hand on its brain matter. She headed for the backstage area in preparation for the matches to come.


	4. Restraining Orders

"And now for the brackets, champs." the announcer called, getting the attention of everyone in the break room. They looked at the wall which presented the announcer in real time as if she was in front of them. Most of the contestants, including Barr turned to look cooly at the screens.

Pink, while stuffing her face with delicacies from various planets also turned to look.

"Oh how interesting. I didn't think it would be like this but it's way more interesting than what I was planning." the announcer commented as she stared at the device in her hand. "Oh those two could actually fight each other. That would be an interesting battle if I ever saw one. And also,"

She pressed a finger to her ear.

"Oh, okay." she muttered under her breath. A smile appeared on her face and her body language became more open. "Alright folks, time for me to stop hogging all the excitement for myself, don't you think?"

With no further adeau, they were revealed. On the stadium walls, for everyone to see were the brackets.

"Now let me explain, before you all get confused." the announcer returned everyone's attention to her. "There are currently 16 contestants. The first preliminary round determined everyone's placement, from first to last. When somebody lost in the consecutive rounds, everyone below them was bumped ahead with one spot.

"As for how the bracket works. The first person fights the last, second figts second last and so on." she explained while making motions with her hands.

"Now," she pointed at the battle arena before her. "Will the first match contestants: Pinka Diamanta and H.T.P. please step up."

"Wow this is going so fast, I can't believe I get to be first!" Pink said excitedly, with her hands in the air and alien foods sticking out of her mouth.

"That's the fate of a cheater I guess." Barr shrugged.

"I didn't cheat! That guy with the instructions set me up!" Pink crossed her arms and huffed. "I would've been first anyway."

"Heh. As if." Barr dismissed her.

"You'll see when I beat T.P. here." Pink pointed at where her opponent had been but there was nobody there. "Huh?"

She looked around and found him in the screen. He had already exited the lounge and was waiting for her at the arena.

"When'd he get there!" Pink ran to catch up before they could yell at her for being late.

* * *

Hey there T.P. sorry for being late, or something like that. That's what Pink would have said if the guy wasn't glaring at her like she took his Pearl and gave her a noogie.

The announcer looke at each of them in turn, both were in the center of the arena, facing each other, though T.P.'s face was uncomfortably close and was making Pink fidget nervously.

"You, you disgrace! I hauled myself from the near bottom of the pit to the top. And you. You were just late!" he yelled. His three eyes glared into hers. "And now you're late again."

"Hey there T.P., sorry for being late." she said with an awkward smile while rubbing the back of her head. She leaned over to the announcer. "Hey can I get a restraining order on this guy."

The announcer smiled.

"Sure." she said as she gave Pink a document.

"Wow, really?" said the surprised Pink.

She looked over the thing. It seemed real. Happy with the new development Pink waved the piece of paper in front of the enraged alien's face.

"Guess you can't touch me. This match is all mine." she boasted.

"Again with your trickery!" T.P. yelled as his eyes darted left and right to read the paper. "Wait a second, you idiot. Here it says "T.P." while in actuality my name is "H.T.P.""

"Eh?" Pink immediately turned to the announcer who shrugged with a smile on her face.

"Wouldn't be much of a battle if one of the contestants couldn't legally be near the other." she explained.

"Can I hit her?" H.T.P. asked the announcer. She looked at her clock.

"In about three seconds when the match begins." she said and H.T.P. cracked his neck. Pink was sreaming at the crowd, looking for a pen to fix the broken document.

But they couldn't hear her as they collectively counted down from three to zero.

And just on time H.T.P.'s fist found itself against Pink's face. She was sent flying about thirty meters back, crashing into the wall of the arena.

"Do you know what my name stands for, cheat?" the alien asked. The two rolls of paper around his arms started rotating, releasing releasing a very long rectangle of paper into the air. That giant piece of paper moved through the air in complex shapes, eventually making a giant sword like structure, with its base being H.T.P.'s arm.

Pink was standing a few meters in front of the wall crater like nothing had happened. She looked up at her opponent's sword. It looked light. He lowered it so that it was perpenicular to his body.

"My name stands for "Hell To Pay"" he said as he swung his sword at her. Pink saw him click a button on the device the paper had originated from. "Let me see you handle a 1000 ton sword." he yelled.

From what Pink could tell he couldn't acually lift that thing, he got momentum by swinging the light version and then he switched it to 1000 tons.

Due to her observations Pink forgot to dodge. The impact sent her flying into the arena wall again. This time the hit shook the ground near her and it demolished a large chunk of the wall behind her.

Not good. She hadn't firmly stepped on the ground and was sent flying agian.

"Ha! Do you see the might of my sword, Diamanta! Soon you will perish and then you will never be late for anything again." H.T.P. laughed as he held his now light, gigantic sword to the side, ready for another swing.

Pink was on her feet again. The sword started moving towards her. At this rate she'll be sent flying.

The sword connected and,

It stopped.

"What in my name?" her opponent muttered. A lot of dust was kicked up by the sword's fast movement so he probably couldn't see.

The dust cleared and his eyes widened in shock. Her feet were burried in the hard ground up to her knees and her hand was at her side, in a position to block. She had indeed blocked the heavy sword before it fell to the ground due to its weight.

"Impossible!" H.T.P. called. Pink took a step forward, again burying her leg up to the knee. And then another similar step.

"You can't block something this heavy!" he yelled as he swung again.

The result was the same. He took a step back in shock, not believeing the sight before his eyes.

"Let's see how you handle a sword double the weight of the previous!" he readied the sword to the side. "2000 ton, strike!"


	5. Traitor In The Midst

"It can't be."

The sword connected with Diamanta, but she didn't budge. For a moment he thought the device that increased the sword's weight was broken. That wasn't the case as when the sword fell down due to its weigh it shook the ground powerfully.

Diamanta took another step forward, agian burying her leg in the ground. And in his shocked state he allowed her to continue taking steps towards him. Suddenly when the distance between them was about 5 meters he snapped out of it and ran back towards the wall, but eventually there was nowhere to run.

"No choice." he said. "I'll have to face you head on. I was shocked because I thought you blocked due to your sheer strength but that can't be true. You must have some trick."

He held his now light sword to the side and swung. Once he had good momentum he increased the weight to 4000 tons.

It was like punching a spaceship. She didn't budge. She was even midstride when she took that hit and didn't lose her balance!

"W-Whatever! I've had tougher oponents." H.T.P. boasted. He wanted to double the sword's weigh for the next strike, but somehow, with his limit being 10000 tons, he felt that if he doubled the weight and it didn't budge her, he'd give up right here and now.

"Alright, you asked for it! I'm going all out. Don't cry when I break that hard body of yours." H.T.P. said as he swung his sword, he clicked the button and his sword became the maximum possible for it weight. He was no longer guiding it. Momentum had taken his role from him. It will hurt her! He knew it! "Take my ultimate move: Hell To Pay: 10000 Ton Direct Strike!"

It connected. Dust was kicked up. She didn't topple but she budged a little. Surely if he hit her a few more times she would,

"Heh, this was a good one. Increasing the weight by 2.5 times from what it was just when I was planning to catch it this time." from the distance he saw the smile on her face. No.

The sword was yanked from his hand. He felt an emptiness. There was nothing to defend him from her. The creature that was holding that 10000 ton sword with one hand. She casually threw it back. One leg unburied followed by the second. She was now properly walking on the stadium.

Towards him.

H.T.P. turned to run, but there was only wall before him.

This was it. He looked over his shoulder, at the kindly smiling Diamanta. He would die here. A long career as a top mercenary. A whole life building himself up to be among the best.

Gone.

She grabbed him in a choke hold and her hand approached him. He wouldn't close his eyes like some coward. He resigned himself. He'd die with pride.

"Noogie, noogie. Say uncle and I'll let you go." she started rubbing her knuckles against the top of his head. Not too strongly either. His body went limp, which made her cackle and increase her effort.

Such relief. He did what she asked of him and victory was hers. On his kees he watched as the woman walked towards the stage exit while bouncing joyously and waving at the crowd.

Truly he had misjudged her. Maybe that's what she was trying to teach them by being late that time. Don't jump to conclusions.

H.T.P. chuckled.

"So even an experienced beast like me can learn something from an even bigger beast, eh?"

The announcer lady was giggling behind him mischeviously, with her hand against her mouth.

"You'd sound pretty cool if your pants were a little less moist. Interested in a restraining order?"

* * *

Pink walked down the hallway that led out of the arena and into the watching booths meant for participants. While headeing forward she saw a familiar figure leaning against the wall.

Barr looked at her for a short while and then clapped.

"Impressive, very impressive." he praised her with a measure of sarcasm, "Didn't think a tourist could handle merchendise like that but here you are, proving me wrong."

"Well that's what happens when you exercise every day." Pink explained. She looked suspiciously at Barr. That look in his eyes troubled her.

"Wouldn't we all want to be princesses and have the kind of time you have to lead a healthy life," he looked her in the eyes and smiled. "My Diamond."

Pink would've gasped but she had already figured someone would've figured it out by now. This tournament would most likely be over before White arrived with her soldiers.

So this kind of information was mostly useless to him. A look of realization washed over his face and he soon returned to his normal, slightly cocky expression.

"I didn't know you had such respect for the Diamond court. Perhaps we shall invite you to dance with us. One of these days." she offered with a smile.

"Oh, we'll dance plenty, during finals." he said and walked away towards the arena and towards his opponent. Pink looked over her shoulder at her future oponent and smiled. He seemed like a not terrible guy to be around.

* * *

Pearl was, naturally delighted to see her Diamond have so much fun, even if it wasn't really befitting of royalty to let loose like this. Who was she, a Pearl, to question her own Diamond's authority.

So she watched, and smiled, and cheered.

Pink Diamond's turn, unfortunatelly, came to an end and not soon after the second match began. Pearl had to admit. She was rather interested in the combat techniques shown here. This was a 'best of the best' type of tournament after all.

Perhaps she should've joined.

Oh, that man got defeated already. Serves him right for insulting Pink earlier that day. Pearl got up and clapped.

The red woman, without responding to the announcer's excitement, exited the arena.

She was probably heading for the contestant boot where Pink was. Pearl looked up and saw Pink Diamond looking in her direction. The servant blushed under her master's gaze.

Pearl of course got a smile and a wave, which she returned, albeit more mellow.

The victor, the red woman approached her Diamond. And she seemed to strike up a conversation with Pink Diamond despite Pearl not having seen them interract before.

Strange.

But not too strange.

Pearl watched as the next contestants enetered the arena and the medical team took away the other fellow, Barr.

* * *

"Hey there Barr." Pink smiled at the man who entered the boot. She tried not to be too cheerful. Keeping things competetive and all that.

"Diamanta." he regarded her with a nod.

"Congrats on your win."

"Thanks." Barr smiled kinda evily. Weird.


	6. Pink Diamond: Future

Ku Ku Ku.

Her plan worked. She made that pink chick believe she was actually that Barr fellow she was all chummy with and that he had won their last match when she completely obliterated the fool.

Thanks to her illusion magic Diamanta doesn't stand a chance. Her mind's defenses awere strong, but since she was allowing her to get so close she could gently seep her influence in the pink womanchild's mind and make her do her bidding when the time of their clash came.

That's when.

"Hey, Barr, are you evil?" Diamanta asked her such an outrageous question.

Was she onto her? She definitely was. Totally onto her. Her cover was blown.

Sanna composed herself. Good thing her Barr illusion hid her wide eyes and sweaty forehead.

"Like hell I'm an evil person impersonating your friend, idiot! What kinda crazy talk do you think you're spewing here?" she reacted calmly. Didn't explode or anything. No.

"Ah sorry. It's just that you had that smile on earlier that I figured," Pink smiled appologetically without finishing her sentance.

"Well don't think. Just be the lovable brute you usually are." Sanna crossed her arms angrily and looked the other way.

The winner of the eight and final battle for the round was retreating. This girl was in the middle of the bracket. She'd be Sanna's opponent in round three if she continued.

Currently she and Diamanta were on the rooftop to the contestant booth, overlooking the battles from the windiest place possible. Sanna was freeziing up but she didn't dare mention it for fear of looking weak. Damn that Diamanta and her weird biology!

Probably couldn't catch a disease if she tried to. She turned to glare at her eventual finals opponent.

Pink was giving her a weird smile. A smile she hadn't seen before, at least not directed at her from a girl's face, oh hell no.

"So I'm a 'lovable brute' now am I Barr?" Diamanta moved in closer to her and put her hand over hers, lookng into her eyes and smiriking.

Sanna briefly wondered if there'd be a splash if she jump dived down to the hard arena ground from here and then concluded that the only splash would be frod her body fluids.

Instead she'd jump dive straight into Diamanta's black list.

"Yes, in the sense that the only ones that love you will be the ones that look down on your stupidity with humor and on your ugly face as cuteness and uniqueness."

Diamanta didn't move. She was frozen in place with a smile on her face.

Just when Sanna thought she saw Death looming over the horizon, her mind jolted into action.

"O-On my planet that's an expression which means. It means. It's meaning is that the person before us is very beautiful. It's called Super Sarcasm." she hurriedly explained. That girl, Death that was watching them hid. Now that she thought about it wasn't she Pink's next opponent.

Doesn't matter. Pink calmed down. She laughed and pulled Sanna close into an one armed hug.

"What a weird planet you come from Barr, let's talk abouth it." she said happily.

Mind games. This was totally a mind game. She wanted to find out her real identity.

None of that.

"Say weren't you asking me something about being evil. What was that about?" she asked.

"Oh that, well..." Diamanta looked thoughtful as she rummeled through her thoughts.

Diversion, success.

"I was asking if you happened to be evil, since I'm also evil, I thought we could bond over our shared moral allignment." Diamanta gave her a cheery smile. Sanna blinked in confusion.

"Huh?"

But before her conversation partner could elaborate, a floating camera, flew straight up beside them and slowed its ascend about three meters above them. Its lens focused on them. The announcer flew up too, propelled by a jump and landing on their roof and looking at the two of them with her permenant smile.

"Now then, you two, as contestants who made it all the way to here, you have this one right. Tell the public what you intend to do once you get ahold of your own planet." she said. Sanna looked around. She was their faces on all the big screens around the arena. This was a popular attraction she guessed. Had to keep the public engaged.

Not that she cared for such things. What she'd do was her business and she assumed her colleague was the same.

"Come on Diamanta," she turned away from the camera and started walking away. "Let's go-"

"I'll colonize it." Pink said with conviction. Sanna turned around and saw that the goofy smile was gone. The warm ice had turned ice cold. "I'll use its resources to increase my own. Like a parasite I'll take and take and take, until there is nothing left of this pathetic world. Then I'll finally stand equal among my siblings."

Sanna grit her teeth. What in the universe was this? Who was this woman? What happened to the easygoing brute? The cottoncandy haired girl that made everyone go 'awww'?

The crowd roared with laughter. Comments flew from the stands.

"Knew that pinky was insane. It's always the pink ones, you hear?"

"Poor people on the planet. I'll shed a tear while watching them get destroyed from my space ship. Ha Ha Ha!"

What was this rotton world turning people into?

"I'll also make huge parties on it!" Diamanta used her arms to gesture just how big the parties would be. She smiled at the spectators "And you're all not invited since my siblings won't allow it!"

No this wasn't her battle. This girl's future was not her concern beyond her defeat at her hands.

"What about you, what will you do with your newly acquired piece of merchandise if you win it?" the announcer asked her, looking into her eyes seriously.

"what? You expect me to say something evil? Just because I'm brushing elbows with this rotten piece of candy there. Don't kid yourselves. I'll just take what I need from this planet and throw it to the dumpster. See how long it lasts before the rats catch it. It's not my concern what it happens to it once I get what I want from it.

"It's not my responsibility. I'll be totally neutral to it. Like picking fruit in the wild, I'll take enough for me and leave. This is what I'll do with this planet."

Saying what she had to she just stared at the camera until the crew that was manning it from afar got that she was finished. It moved back, for a wider shot of all three of them. They waited while the crowd quieted down.

"So she's just gonna up and leave it when she's done with it. Talk about easy pickings!"

"Let's mess with the people there to our heart's content!"

Sanna of course, used her illusions to mask any instance of 'she' with 'he' and to filter any other risque comments for Diamanta's ears.

Once the shouting was done. The announcer looked at Sonna with a serious look.

"I wish you the best of luck." she said with a nod at her direction. She turned to Diamanta and smiled brightly, with her eyes closed and her facial muscles relaxed. "To the both of you!"

The announcer back flipped off the roof, leaving only Sanna and Diamanta.


	7. A Brush With DE Athra

"Next fight, the lovely, the charming, the pink, Diamanta." Pink came in fast and she came in strong pumping her fists to the cheer of the crowd.

"And facing against her we have the mysterious, the dreadful. D. E. Athra." the announced girl came in in a black, gothic lolita type dress. Her face was bone white, yet her lips, nails and hair were black. She smiled spookily at Pink. So were her teeth apparently. Though the inner side of her mouth and her tongue were white.

"Any questions on how the upcoming fight will go?" the announcer asked, staring first at the one and then at the other.

"Is it too late to go buy an Anti Curse Potion?" Pink asked as she stared wearily at her opponent.

"I'll put you on the tip of my drill ship, Diamanta and drill to the cores of planets, blowing them up, creating so much **death**" she said as she sucked on her fingers, slobbering over them.

"Still not too late to give up." the announcer said cheerfully. "Though, then we'd throw you to the lions," the announcer thought, "but you'd like that."

Pink walked forward, not minding their host.

"Aren't you a little old to be sucking on your fingers?" Pink attacked with some banter. The girl rasply giggled.

"With d-d-d, endings, coming around every corner, what even is old?" the girl asked as a scythe materialized in her palm. She closed her fist around it. With her slobbery hand she dragged her cheek down, drool dripping from it, which caused her eye to open wider. As if that would expand her vision.

"Come, let's fight to d-d, da sweet release." the girl smiled and ran forward.

Before she knew what was going on a loud sound echoed through the stadium. It was a sonic boom. But Pink only heard that after she jumped back avoiding the swing of her opponent's scythe.

She swung it again and again and Pink did her best to dodge every swing. That girl had seen her fight. She wouldn't be swinging around a weapon she knew wouldn't work.

But the girl was too fast for her and Pink was barely keeping pace with her while D.E. seemed to be used to such speeds.

Finally one of the scythe brushed against Pink's shoulder and it passed right trough. Pink jumped far back, landing near the wall of the stadium. She spared a glance at her shoulder but there was no wound.

Weird, but her state of unhurt led her to get fired up.

No, she couldn't rush this, she had to think through things clearly. Obviously her opponent had been trained in speed not strength. That was probably because her weapons didn't requre the latter. So charging in. Bad move.

This is where you have to get creative to win Pink.

Oh right. It was that time already.

Against such weird bladed weapons that passed right through her when they hit and an opponent that was faster than her, she should just become faster.

Pink transformed. She took on a form with less mass that would make her, weigh less. She also made it more aerodinamic with sharper limbs and shorter hair, sharper too. It was spiked. One good headbutt and D.E. would have puncture wounds all over her face. Her whole body was now in fact fairly sharp, meant for cutting and puncturing.

This was called, beating your opponent at their own game and Pink was excited to try doing just that. It was nice that her opponent was a speed freak so their exchange would be over quickly. Pink couldn't keep up this form for long.

"Wind Cutter!" she said the name of her new form.

The girl, not paying PInk any heed, ran forward and tried to stab through her with her scythes.

But Pink was better equipped to deal with her this time. Their speed was about equal and Pink, with her longer limbs, and a bit of shapeshifting, had no trouble cutting up her opponent in several places across her body. But it was as if she was the only one noticing this as D.E. paid her injuries no heed.

Now if Pink could keep this up for a few more seconds, it had been about 5 seconds since she started her onslaught and the girl already had 24 cuts of various severity all over her body, she could handily take this match and continue up the bracket to finals!

Oh, what was this?

The opponent jumped far far back. Well, Pink wasn't stupid enough to let her do whatever she wanted so she followed. No luck. Scyches flew from the direction of the girl, slowing down Pink just a bit.

She reached out for one. Using it as a bladed weapon to bat the others away from her while she advanced would be a good idea. The moment she grabbed the scythe's handle, though, a wave of nausea went over her and she dropped to her knees.

The hail of scythes stopped as the girl ran up the obelisk at one end of the stadium. There were four and they made up a cross in the round stadium if you connected them.

The girl climbed it with no problem despite being horizontal to it. She'd somehow connected a scythe to each foot and was using them to dig into the material.

Once she reached the top she looked down at Pink.

"My master has made me limit my abilities for the sake of not attracting undue attention. But if it is for defeating a foe such as yourself." the girl showed emotion different from insane anxiety for the first time since Pink laid eyes on her. It was a clumsy and twisted smile. Her face twitched weirdly as if unused to the movement of the muscles there. "Prepare yourself for the tip of my blade."

She crouched down. This was Pink's shot, if she could run up that thing and stop her, she might prevent the worst from happening.

From around each of her ankles the girl unwrapped a strange device that seemed to be made of metal. The devices both had a small screen on them.

Pink's eyes widened. A bomb!

She ran for the other end of the stadium, but knew it would be of no use. This was probably the gir's trump card in this competition and she had decided to use it on her. No way she'd get through this without being puffed.

The two devices fell to the ground, Pink flinched right as they connected with the ground. Indeed a huge impact was created when contact was made, a storm of dust shot throug the arena.

But where was the heat? Where was the force behind this explosion?

Or was it really an explosion?

Oh no.

Something that could make such an impact.

The dust started to clear and Pink saw the devices. They had made a large crater around themselves. When she focused enough, even if they were 200 meters away from her, on the other side of the arena, she could make out what was on the screen. It wasn't anything bomb related. Those were numbers she couldn't quite make out due to the dust lingering in the air. But they were big numbers, that she could tell.

So these weren't bombs.

They were - Guh!

For the second time that day, Pink found herself unable to react. D.E. who had been in her peripheral had suddenly disappeared. And she appeared right in front of Pink. Before Pink could make herself jump back, she'd already been slashed 10 times. There were no wounds. Just like their previous encounter.

But if she wasn't hurt, why did she feel so weird.


	8. A Temporary Interruption

Her opponent became momentary distracted and Pink decided this would be a great time to surprise punch her in the face.

The hit sent her hurdling back, yet she looked unfazed as she flew back, staring towards the sky at the thing that had distracted her originally. Pink, didn't look of course, since this might as well have been an obvious distraction on her oppponent's part.

She drove forward to strike again, but found herself stumbling as the white gilr had disappeared before her Pink looked up and saw the girl flying up to her sister's, White Diamon's ship.

What?

White Diamond here. Did she come to claim the planet. Was she here for the tournament. Well it's not like Pink would just let her have the planet. It was her planet, well at least it will be in like a few hours, and White should've submitted her application earlier.

She really should go talk to White and clear up the misunderstanding.

If only she could fly like that D.E.

The ground felt kinda off beneath her feet, now that she noticed. Looking down the ground of the arena was cracked. So D.E. hadn't flown, she'd just jumped really really high.. Of course silly.

Pink chuckled to herself as she jumped up.

A dozen seconds later she realized that she should've probably considered her trajectory before jumping. The fact became clearer and clearer as the bottom of the ship grew closer and closer.

She squealed before the moment of impact. But it didn't come. Not when she expected it. She crashed half a second later on the roof of one of the rooms inside the ship. A hatch had opened on the floor allowing her to pass. Then it closed in time for her to fall on the spot it'd opened in.

High tech ships, gotta love them.

Some random Pearl came in, way too wound up and told her White requested her presence.

And so they headed down the hallway.

* * *

By the time Pink was done with her the Pearl was giggling so hard, she barely managed to compaose herself before White.

"Sorry for running off, sis." Pink said with a smile as she approached the sitting white. "But you gotta know even the ruler of a planet can't just barge in in the middle of a competition and expect a spot in it. Plus whatcha gonna do with that giant torso, chest bump everyone till they become your bros and give you the victory."

White uncrossed her legs and then crossed them agian, this time with the opposite one on top.

"While the idea is quite, humurous, I don't think it has much merit in the spear of practicality." White said calmly. She looked offhandedly to the side. "At least you're not causing interplanetary scuffles this time. That I'm aware of."

"Of course not sis" Pink said and did that thing with your hands where you make a diamond. She tgought it was a salute or something. "And I fixed the trouble with those whatever their names were."

"Becoming a personal friend of their ruler can hardly be considered solving a problem. Soon their successor will inherit."

"I'll befriend them too." Pink said with a smile.

"No need. I took care of them on the way here." White said.

Pink shut up. She couldn't bring herself to respond to that. Her friends were dead. Had she not attempted to this colony thing, this wouldn't have happened.

"The tournament. It's on neutral grounds. You have no power here. If you attack several planets will oppose you." Pink tried to reason. She wouldn't let any more of her friends get wiped out because of her selfish sister.

"That's what my new tool is for. It cannot be traced back to me." White said, some smugness seeping in through her ice cold persona. Pink stared, shocked. "D. , she's something of a 'child' of mine."

"She came up for a quick briefing. By now she should be already down there, wrecking havoc, killing. She'll reach the seal that grants the ownership of the planet and then she'll run. And I'll catch her and they'll give it to me as an award, as most of the contestants will be dead, including that Diamanta persona of yours. You'll have to change shape of course, as to not be recognized as her."

Pink could not accept this. She turned around and ran.

"Pink, What is the meaning of this!"

She ran.

"If I find the plan revealed, your previous punishment will be nothing in comparison."

"I won't let this stand." Pink said with determination. She fell through a hatch and watched as the ground approached. Even from high in the air she could see the chaos brewing below.

White's 'child'. How can she possibly stop something as powerful as this.

"Over here." a booming voice called from below.


	9. A Scarred Gem

"The whole world burning." he said that as the fire burned between them. Meat he'd caught for them was put on the stick above the fire, nearly cooked. She licked her lips. "Kinda like that beast you torched up yesterday when you were trying to hunt."

She adjusted her fur coverings as she looked down slightly ashamed.

"They were strong and fast and durable, like the mightiest of mighty beasts, but they looked so much like us that I was afraid. Demons, that's what they were.

As she stared into the fire, the flickering flames started to seem like distorted faces to her.

"They took some of ours and those poor souls never came back." he said sadly as he turned the meat. She briefly considered just eating the cooked half now and letting him cook his part and eat it later.

"Did they like where they took them." she said. He ignored her.

This was a formality. Every night he told that story and after the second time it had become boring so she teased him. Yet she never got a reaction. He always had that distant look when he told his tale.

"Angry and frustrated we fought back. With our combined might, 8 of us total, the other 20 keeping us safe from the others, we killed a demon and we fled. We made one mistake though. We took her remains.

"A celebration was in order for our victory and that's when they got us. The chief, she entrusted the stone to me, told me to run, not let them have what they want."

Oh here comes the gross part. She held her bicep. The stone there throbbed in pain and she screamed in agony.

"I escaped them. One day later the demon took form from the stone. She fell me to the ground and took off. By that time I knew how to fight them. Due to my comrades' experience. I shot her in the back with my spear as she ran confused.

"She did not appear for days, but I was angry at her, at them, for the disappearance of my people, the death of my comrades, so I scratched it, the remains of her, this gem you now have."

She clutched her bicep and tears of pain ran down her cheeks. She heated her skin, evaporating them. She hated when he saw her cry. It was pathetic.

"After two days of scratching in my off time, she appeared, barely, she had trouble keeping herself there, her words were duller than the way the others spoke. This scratching of the gem, it had definitely hurt her.

"She pleaded me to stop but I didn't, I hit it, bit it, logged it and so forth, everything that wouldn't leave a mark but would make her scream in agony.

"Then I did stuff to her. Shameful stuff. She hated it and that alone made me love it. Some time later she was gone and you were there, wailing your head off."

"Pretty romantic, dad. My friends from the nearby village's parents ain't got nothing on you." she grinned as the pain subdued. Oh how she wished that guy hadn't traumatized whatever was in the gem so much, or at least not bring it up every night.

"Come on, let's train, if you can't beat me, you can't beat those damn demons."

By the time he deemed her 'ready', way later than when she felt ready, the demons were gone.

So she decided to take matters into her own hands. She was way stronger than human and demon. Humanity's only hope.

* * *

Pink reoriented herself so that she was falling towards the person who called out to her.

It was the announcer!

"Eeeeeeeh?!" Pink said with shock.

And fire was shooting out of her feet, which she was using to fly!

"Eeeeeeeh?!" Pink said with surprise.

"Gotcha. Tell you what, we kill the white thing, I give you the planet."

"Eeeeeeeh?!" Pink said with wonder.

"Every other contestant is dead or MIA except for you and D.E. Athra, so it's only fair for you two to fight it out."

"Eeeeeeeh?!" Pink said with her attention focused at the ground. Hovering was getting kinda boring.

"That's it!" the announcer yelled. Now that Pink paid attention she wasn't smiling. So scary!

Well not really. Like that inferior thing scared her all that much. What species was she even? Whatever, who cares, without that smile she's not even cute. Come on drop her or whatever so she can get to business with that black-toothed mama's girl.

"You don't care about the other contestants?"

"Not for realz no. I've known one of them for what? An hour?"

"The tourists and inhabitants?" the announcer asked.

"They'll mostly live. D.E.'s just sowing a bit of chaos."

The announcer clenched her teeth.

"If only I'd predicted that White Death was with White Diamond. Stupid me. I don't know what's worse. Giving the prize to you or your sister." she glared at Pink, "If you say 'eeeeh' again I'm dropping you."

Pink opened her mouth and the announcer put her palm over it.

"Don't be so quick to rush off and face that thing. I think we both know it's stronger than you are and without a strategy you'll be in shards in no time." the announcer explained.

"Maybe if you get the whole crowd to cheer for me I can win against all odds!" Pink said sweetly, trying to gently tug free of the announcer's grip.

"I say we fuse." she said abruptly, eyes focused on the ground.

"Pft." the little sound escaped Pink's lips. It escalated into full blown laughter that raised to the heavens. Her body wriggled around as it tried to escape the bounds that held it, but the announcer didn't let go, not even for a second.

"But you're not a gem, you stupid inferior!" she spat the words into the announcer's face.

Without saying a word, she chomped on her sleeve and pulled her head back sharply, revealing the dull ruby gem on her bicep.

A grin spread across Pink's face. She met the announcer's level gaze with her excited one.

"So very interesting, announcer," she touched one of the stickers on her face with a finger, one of the ones shaped like hearts. "You made my heart skip just now. I can't let that go unpunished."

Pink lunged. The announcer tried to pull back but a pink arm was holding her tightly by the forearm.

A pink tongue caressed the old beaten ruby, making the announcer wince at the contact.

It started glowing as it healed and the announcer's breathing became sharp, hungry as she stared down at the gem with bewilderment.

"Raze us up, announcer, so we can raze the skies. So we can raze this whole planet with our fusion. There are a few souvenir stalls here worth protecting after all. And I'm sure Pearl is waiting in her seat like I told her to."

The flames shooting from the announcer's feet grew more intense. To an insane degree. Sweat was running down her skin. Genuine laughter escaped her mouth as tears evaporated from her cheeks.

As they circled each other in the sky, surrounded by a torrent of flames, their gems glowed and their physical forms started to merge, Pink understood. For the first time, the existence she was fusing with, Zogi, discovered what it was like not to be in pain.

Pink chuckled at this information as they both became one. After all now that it left her, all this pain had to go to somebody else.


	10. And The Winner Is

Sphalerite was born.

She felt so exhilarated.

Such intense emotions were welling up inside her that she couldn't contain it anymore. And with a blast of fire she shot towards the ground, creating a crater of magma where she landed. Her body was weightless, she walked over the molten liquid and stepped onto more solid ground.

Half of her was pink and the other half was a reddish hue. The pink color, extended into the red, like tendrils trying to wrap around the other half and take control.

But the red was intense. It gave off such heat that the pink around it was starting to redden.

Not good.

Sphalerite was unstable. If she wanted to stick around longer she'd have to be quick in finding the white thing and starting a fight with it.

She shot forward and after a quick flight landed right in the stands, right next to the only sitting and not panicking individual.

A voice that was not hers escaped her mouth. She felt like she was being split in two. How nauseating.

"That white creeper. Where'd she run off to?" the voice asked.

"My diamond, did you-" the Pearl tried to ask her, but one of her halves cut her off.

"When a diamond asks something you answer!" it barked and the Pearl blushed and lowered her gaze.

"Of course, my diamond. That way." she pointed at a direction and Sphalerite nodded. She flew in that direction. Finally a clear goal to unite her two halves.

She located the white woman slashing through security with her scythe and dropping them like flies.

"Hey! These there are my coworkers you're killing! How would you like it if I- well your name is basically death so you'd probably like it. Yeah you'd like it a lot, you sick clown." The red half started and the pink half finished.

Ugh just let Sphalerite do her job. Those control freaks weren't budging an inch in there.

"Let's finish what we started!" and so with one leg she jumped forward and tried to deliver a punch. That woman disappeared right before her eyes.

"Idiot, you know what she dropped on that stadium. Weights weighting 30 000 tons each. You can't keep up with her. Just let me handle it!" the other one yelled.

She would've hit them had it not been for the other half of her sending out a burst of flames in every direction.

Sphalerite faded out. She was transforming against her will. One part took the pink one's form and the other, the red one. She wished they would defuse. This was like being a prisoner in her own body. Such strong wills, those two.

Pink half decked the approaching D.E. in the face.

"Who's the real idiot. Don't you remember her insane pain resistance from when I fought her. Good job slowing her down though." Pink said. She moved to crack her knuckles with her other hand but when that didn't respond she cracked them against her head.

"While I didn't research her origins well enough, I do have a good grasp on her abilities. She has what's called [Will Erasure]. Whoever and whatever she cuts with those scythes will lose the will to do whatever it is she desires. The strength of the effect depends heavily on the physical and mental strength of the subject, but,"

D.E. Athra stood from the debris. A black liquid seeped from her ears, eyes, nose and mouth. She smiled a smile that showed all the black teeth which hadn't been knocked out just now, and she charged.

She swiped the scythes in front of her.

"No way, she's cutting through the air's will to resist" the red half exclaimed, "she cut through the air resistance!"

The white one stood and waited for the red half to finish her sentence before kicking them through several walls and into the stadium wall.

The pink half chuckled. This was nothing to her and by virtue, them all.

"Thanks for calmly waiting for red here to finish her little explanation. Show off." she reached into their mouth and pulled the tongue out, then she touched her cheek and pulled down in a rude gesture. "Show off."

"It took me 20 scythes but I did it. You no longer have the will to fight. Now you can either run while I hunt and slaughter you or you can stay here for a quick d-d-d-d, destruction at my hands!" the white thing cackled. This was it. Nothing Sphalerite could do and with their will to fight gone, she was disappearing anyway.

"Don't get too cocky just yet." the pink half smiled, she now looked exactly how she did in her original form, completely overriding Sphalerite's own form. The red half clicked their tongue, she too looked like she did in her own form. She finished the first one's thoughts. "Look around you, idiot."

D.E. Athra did look around and she seemingly went even paler. There was a bubble all around the stadium and the related building next to it.

She glared at them.

"So what!" she yelled at them, "You're still gonna, s-still gonna, d-d-d-di, damn your creator for making you! You can't fight me after all, not when my scythes took away all your will to fight."

Red half clicked her tongue again.

"Why'd you think I went through all that trouble to find somebody to fuse with. I needed you close enough to know your general area." she explained.

"Oho." exclaimed pink half. "So you knew that I'd catch the hint and catch her first moment I got. You didn't fill me in since you knew that she'd show off and stay in one place only if she were confident we were through and that wouldn't happen if I knew what I was doing."

"I'm still kinda worried about our newfound pacifism though." pink half complained.

"Oh please, you still haven't figured that part out." red half rolled her eye.

"No, oh wait, I got it now. Yeah" pink half used her hand to bob their head up and down. "So we needed a sacrifice for when we got all close and personal with death."

"Precisely!" red half exclaimed and they both used their hands to bob the head up and down.

"A sacrifice?" Sphalerite and D.E. Athra asked in unison.

"Yup someone to take the scythes for us while we prepared the traps." red part said in monotone.

"Thanks for the help buddy. Hope I never see you again!" pink part said with a smile.

"Oh-!" Sphalerite exclaimed as she started to glow. A moment later standing in her place were the full forms of the stretching Pink Diamond and Zogi.

"It sure was tight in there." Pink complained as she touched her clown slippers.

"Whatever you say whale hair." Zogi cracked her neck.

"Did you just call my hair fa-" and she barely ducked under a barrage of scythes.

"It really is a big target though, let's burn it." Zogi said and the whole inside of the giant bubble went up in flames.

"Flames, you expect to k-k-ki, cremate me with fire. Silly, clumsy plan." she cackled again and nearly hit Zogi with a scythe.

"Not really." she muttered and then called "Scatter!"

Try as she might D.E. Athra couldn't locate them in this atmosphere of fire.

"But I am the only one who can navigate this place, plus the fact that you can't leave here, I feel pretty confident in my plan." she said from a place she hoped her enemy wouldn't be able to determine.

"By the feeling of your head breaking when I punched you," Pink said "I can tell you're organic, and from that punch I can also tell that you won't survive a second one."

"How can this be, even with all my training even with all my speed I still couldn't avoid d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-!"

One punch and she was on the ground, seeping black liquid. Pink grinned over her fallen form.

She turned her back to the burning crater and slung D.E. Athra over her shoulder.

"Come on let's grab my Pearl and go. White will not be pleased when she finds out I stole her prize and her pet away." she turned to Zogi. "You got a spaceship right?"

"Sure do."

"Okay, we'll stop by the stadium and-"

"No. I have personal matters to discuss with you." Zogi said as she led the way.

Pink looked her over and nodded.

"I see." she said.

"As you said this D.E. Athra is an organic life form, if you'll look closely, you'll see that she has a gem here." Zogi parted the thick mop of hair that was hiding the gem on the white forehead.

Pink's eyes widened.

"That gem's just like-!" she couldn't say the words aloud. Her hand went over her mouth. Her entire world was spinning. "She wasn't joking when she said she was her 'child'. That's sick. Her of all gems."

"This is what I wished to discuss Pink. If you do not wish to lose in this rat race against the other diamonds, you'll need to keep up with their scheming and research." she said without looking back at Pink. Her words were sad and defeated but they were the only way. "As a half organic I can be a vital tool in your research. But like everything I do have a price."

They stopped in front of her ship with Zogi in front of the door and Pink a few steps behind, D.E. Athra over her shoulder, black and white.

"What's your price half-organic?" Pink asked. All her humor had escaped her after she'd discovered the truth.

"Earth, the planet that you won." she said as she turned to Pink. "In exchange for my life, I plead you. Save organic life on Earth. Or at the very least, protect my tribe."

Pink thought long about this. Her face was like stone, never revealing her true intentions to her companion. Finally she gestured with her head for the door and Zogi opened it. The hostage flew from her holder's arm right into the ship, shaking it a little.

"Consider Earth, and especially your tribe, under my protection. I shall battle with everything I have for this promise I made. And in exchange you will ensure I have every advantage against my sisters in this little militaristic race."

She climbed onto the ship. Zogi behind her got on one knee and saluted. "My diamond, I shall not forget this."

"Come aboard, red," Pink smiled a bright innocent smile. "There are so many fun things to discuss."


End file.
